


Listen

by kiyala



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Food, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-04
Updated: 2014-02-04
Packaged: 2018-01-11 04:01:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1168423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiyala/pseuds/kiyala
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Grantaire doesn't think Enjolras listens to him, and Enjolras wants to prove otherwise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Listen

**Author's Note:**

> Written for my "food" square of [cottoncandy bingo.](http://cottoncandy-bingo.dreamwidth.org/)

"Does coffee count as food?" Enjolras asks, and Grantaire looks up from his book with a raised eyebrow.

"Depends on why you're asking," he finally replies. "Does it count to me? Yes. Is Combeferre going to give you a massive lecture on why it _doesn't_ count when he finds out you haven't had anything else today? Oh yeah."

"You say _when_ , like you're going to tell on me."

Grantaire snorts quietly. "I say _when_ because Combeferre is secretly a psychic and he knows all."

Enjolras hums, unconvinced, but when they walk to the Musain later that afternoon, Combeferre takes one look at him and frowns.

"Have you eaten?"

"Coffee—"

"Doesn't count," Combeferre cuts him off, launching into the lecture that Grantaire had been expecting. Grantaire snorts quietly, patting Enjolras on the back because he's not going to say _told you so_ while Combeferre is talking.

"Grantaire, you're his partner, can't you try convincing him? If he won't listen to his best friend—"

"Combeferre, if he doesn't listen to you, he's definitely not going to listen to me. I had to go through you to get Enjolras to agree to naming our cat Artemis."

"I'm right here, you know," Enjolras speaks up. "Besides, I was opposed to Artemis because it's just another Apollo joke."

"Your cat is white, Enjolras, it's a Sailor Moon reference," Combeferre replies without missing a beat.

"Though she might as well be the Goddess of the Hunt," Grantaire adds proudly. "But my point is, I really don't think I could get Enjolras to listen. He listens to me less than he listens to you."

"I would listen," Enjolras says, frowning. "I listen to you both equally. If you make a good point, then I take it into consideration."

"But that's the thing, isn't it?" Grantaire smiles at Enjolras. "I hardly ever make good points."

"That's not true," Enjolras argues, but Grantaire simply shrugs, going over to greet Joly and Bossuet as they arrive. " _Grantaire_."

Pretending not to hear, Grantaire sits down with his two friends as he always does, immediately being drawn into a conversation about the beautiful girl that Bossuet accidentally spilled his entire bottle of juice on during lunch. When he looks over at Enjolras later, there is a bowl of wedges on the table in front of him and he's frowning in thought as he eats them. Grantaire looks away before their eyes can meet.

Enjolras frowns the entire way back to their apartment after the meeting, his expression only brightening when he greets Artemis at the door. The moment they're inside, Enjolras turns to Grantaire with a determined look in his eyes, which always means that they're going to _talk_. Grantaire probably should have seen this coming.

"You think I don't listen to you," Enjolras says softly, his brows drawn together. "Do you really believe that?"

Grantaire shakes his head. "It's not important."

"Yes it is." Enjolras grabs Grantaire by the arm to stop him from walking away. "I love you, and it's incredibly important to me if you think that I don't, or that I don't value what you have to say."

"Please don't do this," Grantaire whispers. "Please."

"I care about what you have to say, R. I do. I'll prove it. You don't believe things until you see the proof, do you? Tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it."

Grantaire snorts quietly. "What if I asked you to do something completely stupid or impossible."

"You won't," Enjolras replies confidently and Grantaire can't breathe, can't think, doesn't even know when or why Enjolras started believing in him like this.

"Eat," Grantaire says when he finds his voice. "Three proper meals a day. On top of the coffee. Enough that even Combeferre will be happy. How's that?"

"I'll do it," Enjolras promises. "Um. We might need to go shopping though, I don't think we have enough ingredients to make anything that Combeferre would actually approve of."

Grantaire laughs quietly at that. "Yeah, good point. You can start from tomorrow, though. We'll do the shopping and get something quick and easy for now. We both ate at the Musain anyway."

Enjolras nods, then touches Grantaire's hand. "Please don't be upset with me."

"I'm not upset," Grantaire replies, pressing a kiss to Enjolras' cheek. "Come on, let's get the shopping over and done with."

«·»

The next morning, Grantaire wakes to the loveliest smell coming from the kitchen. He gets out of bed to investigate and finds Enjolras standing in front of the stove, cooking breakfast.

"Good morning," Enjolras greets him with a kiss as he begins transferring the food onto two plates. "You woke up just in time."

"This looks amazing," Grantaire murmurs in awe, picking up his plate. "I didn't even know you could cook like this, and we've been living together for a _year_."

"I learned when I was young. My family employed cooks and I thought that it was unfair that they had to make all the food while we ate it, so I would hang out in the kitchen until they let me help. I learned a few useful things along the way." Enjolras smiles, pouring two mugs of coffee. "It takes time, though, so I don't bother any more."

"What changed?"

"I made the time," Enjolras tells him. "Not having time is just an excuse, I think. I can change that. Maybe it's worth it, if I spend that time making good food. More so if I can share it with you."

"You are unfairly talented," Grantaire declares as he eats. "This is amazing, Enjolras."

"It's better than the breakfast bars I have when I remember to," Enjolras admits. "Better than _nothing_ , which is what I usually have."

They finish eating with enough time to get ready for work. When Grantaire comes out of the shower, he sees two lunch boxes on the table.

"Enjolras? You made lunch too?"

"Something simple," Enjolras replies from the sink, where he's washing up. Artemis is standing behind him and watching him closely, having realised that he's the one responsible for all the wonderful food smells.

It turns out to be spaghetti, with spices and vegetables that are mixed together wonderfully. It tastes so good that for a moment, Grantaire can forget exactly why Enjolras is doing this. Then it comes rushing back to him and he sighs quietly, suddenly enjoying his food less. He tries to push it out of his mind, telling himself that Enjolras means well, and that's all that matters. He continues eating and does his very best not to think about it.

Grantaire lets it go for two and a half weeks and in that time, Enjolras has cooked three full meals a day for both of them and eaten his share every time. It shows in the way that they both have a lot more energy now. Enjolras has even started to teach Grantaire how to cook, in exchange for Grantaire teaching him how to bake cakes, which Enjolras has never gotten the hang of. It's good, but sometimes Enjolras will look at Grantaire expectantly, like he's trying to prove a point, and there's only so much of it that Grantaire can take.

"Listen," he says when he hits his limit, and he's trying to be gentle about it, but Enjolras' face immediately falls anyway. "Enjolras, just listen to me. Can you do that?"

"That's what I'm trying to show you," Enjolras replies and Grantaire shakes his head, stepping forward and resting his hands on Enjolras' shoulders.

"This isn't how you prove it. I'm glad that you're eating better and I can tell that you're enjoying the fact that you're cooking for both of us. That makes me happy. You made a big change, to make sure that you eat properly the way I asked you to and I think that's great."

"But it's not enough," Enjolras says quietly.

"This isn't the way I want you to listen to me," Grantaire tells him. "I don't want you making big changes to your life because I asked. When it comes down to it, I'm not going to ask you to do thing that mean you have to make a big change because for the most part, I love you just as you are. It's the little things I'm more concerned about. When I text you asking to buy something on the way home. Or even when I tell you I'm going to be late getting somewhere and you still text me asking why I'm not there yet. That sort of thing, that tells me whether you're actually paying attention, or if you're too busy for me. Because most of the time, it seems like you're too busy."

"I'll make time for you," Enjolras replies. "That's what I learned to do over the past couple of weeks, right? Saying that I'm too busy is an excuse and nothing more. I always have time for you, Grantaire. I'll make the time. I'll pay attention."

Grantaire smiles, kissing Enjolras. "That's all I want."

"I love you," Enjolras murmurs against Grantaire's lips. "And you said last week that you'd show me how to make cheesecake."

"Oh, you _were_ listening," Grantaire teases, grinning.

"You were talking about cake," Enjolras says seriously. "Of course I was."

Chuckling, Grantaire pulls Enjolras into another kiss. "I'll keep that in mind for future reference, then."


End file.
